Flights to United Arab Emirates

Compare the best United Arab Emirates flights

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations. With golden beaches, year-round sunshine, shopping and sporting activities, you can also enjoy the welcoming Arabian experience.

Why go?

Flights to United Arab Emirates deliver tourists into a world unlike any other. Keep your heart and mind open and prepare to fall in love...

The UAE is a Middle Eastern state on the Arabian Peninsula. There are seven states, or emirates, within the UAE, including Dubai, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Sharjah, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Ras al-Khaimah. Flights to United Arab Emirates are available to all seven states.

There are two airports that operate as a gateway to all seven states. United Arab Emirates flights are available to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) from London Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAH). Dubai International Airport (DXB) is accessible from major UK airports, including London (LGW, LHR), Manchester (MAN) and Birmingham (BHX). Alternatively, fly indirectly into Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) or Fujairah (FJR).

The UAE is hot during summer and warm during winter, and it rarely rains.

You can find traditional souqs (markets) in the UAE, many of which sell traditional handmade goods such as carpets and pottery and fresh produce. There are also souqs that specialise in gold and jewellery and you may want to consider bargaining if you feel that the prices are too high. The Gold Souq in Dubai is what gave it the name of City of Gold and today this is popular attraction where you can purchase loose precious stones and have jewellery custom made.

Other activities in the UAE include desert jeep tours, kayaking in mangroves and camel riding. You may also wish to traverse Dubai Creek on a ferry (abra) or view the landscape from Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Find cheap flights to United Arab Emirates by using TravelSupermarket’s price-comparison tool.

How to get there

No region in the world has seen such an explosion of flights from the UK than the UAE...

With Emirates offering non-stop services from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester you can pick from up to 17 flights a day into Dubai. Etihad Airways flies non-stop into Abu Dhabi from Manchester, Heathrow and Glasgow with up to six flights day to choose from.

Add in daily flights from London’s Heathrow from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic adn there is a lot of choice on flights taking around seven hours to make the journey.

If one of the direct services does not suit there are great options from Lufthansa via Frankfurt, Alitalia via Rome, Swiss via Zurich, Air France via Paris and KLM via Amsterdam, as well as more unusual options such as Pegasus or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and Cyprus Airways via Larnaca. Connecting flights take from around eight hours upwards to make the journey.

Getting to and from the airport

The area is geared up for tourism so you won’t have any trouble getting around the main destinations...

In Dubai, the Metro is an efficient way of transferring from the airport and moving around or you can hire a car or use taxis, buses or water buses. Metro trains run from one of the airport’s two stations to a range of destinations in Dubai. It costs just a few Emirati dirhams for a Nol card, which you can use for various types of transport, including the water buses.

The main airports of the UAE are all served by taxi ranks and usually charge by the meter or offer a set price. Know the value of your Emirati dirham before you arrive to be sure you aren’t being overcharged.

Many hotels around the United Arab Emirates offer an airport shuttle service for their guests, either for free or for a small charge. This is a good option, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the destination.

Car hire is another popular choice in UAE destinations. You can collect pre-booked car hire from airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as well as at many other destinations around the UAE.

Where to stay?

Find out more about the holiday destinations in the UAE and then discover where to stay...

In the United Arab Emirates, shopping is a popular attraction, particularly in Dubai, where you can experience a multitude of shopping malls. The Mall of the Emirates contains high-end stores such as Harvey Nichols and Asprey and Dubai Festival City is home to the largest M&S outside of the UK. Dubai is also known for its bling and affluence and there are many high-end hotels such as the Burj Al Arab, the world's most luxurious hotel.

Hotels in Dubai are some of the best in the world – where else will you get a private Rolls Royce for use during your stay? (Answer: only with the best suites at the Burj Al Arab.) The Palm Atlantis is another standout hotel, while you can also find hotels from well-known brands such as Marriott, Intercontinental, Hilton, Ritz Carlton and Holiday Inn.

You can find many golden beaches in Dubai, including the Jumeirah Beach – around 25 minutes from the centre of Dubai. This popular beach has calm waters near the shore and a variety of children's activities, as well as water sports such as snorkelling and diving available.

Abu Dhabi is also home to many new shopping malls, including The Emporium and Marina Mall, which both offer a high-end shopping experience. Abu Dhabi is popular with visitors as it provides a slightly more authentic Arabian experience than Dubai.

If you are looking to enjoy the thrill of speed, then Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is the world's largest indoor theme park. It has activities for families with children and the opportunity to experience G-Force, the equivalent to the acceleration of an F1 racing car. There is also Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster in the world, which accelerates up to an amazing 150 miles an hour.

Hotels in Abu Dhabi are also ultra-luxurious – the seven-star Emirates Palace, for example, never fails to steal the breath of gobsmacked guests.

Sharjah is conservative and has a wealth of cultural highlights, while Fujairah is renowned for its mountainous landscape and excellent dive sites.

Whether you choose to stay in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or one of the other emirates, TravelSupermarket will compare hotel prices and show you the best deals.